The present application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-308497 filed on Oct. 6, 2000 the entire contents thereof is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beach cleaner for use in cleaning a sandy beach such as a bathing beach.
2. Description of Background Art
As a beach cleaner to be used for recovering empty cans, PET bottles and caps thereof, wooden pieces, etc., scattered on a sandy beach such as a bathing beach there is known a beach cleaner as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-224413. This beach cleaner recovers waste while being towed by a traction vehicle. Sand is dug up together with waste by means of an excavating roller provided in a front position. Thereafter, the sand and the waste are delivered to a waste carrying section disposed on a rear side as the beach cleaner is moved. Then, in the waste carrying section, the waste and the sand are separated from each other and the waste is received in a waste receptacle portion.
There also is known a beach cleaner as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 3-138203. In this beach cleaner, which is a self-traveling type, waste mixed in sand are scooped up together with the sand and are conveyed by means of a belt conveyor while sweeping away the sand to recover the waste.
In the beach cleaner disclosed in the above Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-224413, an excavating roller for excavating sand together with waste is provided in a front position thereof and a waste carrying section for separating waste from sand thus excavated and receiving the separated waste is provided in a rear position thereof. This construction gives rise to a problem wherein the cleaner as a whole becomes large in size and the structure of the cleaner becomes complicated.
Also in the beach cleaner disclosed in the above Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 3-138203, waste mixed in sand are scooped up together with the sand and are conveyed by means of a belt conveyor and both are separated from each other, resulting in an increase in the size as a whole and a complicated structure.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beach cleaner that is small in size and simple in structure.
For achieving the above-mentioned object according to the present invention, there is provided a beach cleaner for recovering waste while traveling in a towed state by a traction vehicle, e.g., a traction vehicle 11 used in an embodiment of the invention. The beach cleaner includes a grating-like portion 22 which scoops up waste present in front of the beach cleaner as the beach cleaner is moved. A rotor 39 is disposed on an upper side of the grating-like portion and is adapted to rotate so that a lower portion thereof moves rearwardly and is, centered on a rotary shaft 37 extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle, thereby sending out the waste rearwardly through between the rotor and the grating-like portion.
Thus, the beach cleaner is provided with a grating-like portion which scoops up waste present in front of the beach cleaner as the beach cleaner travels and is also provided with a rotor disposed on an upper side of the grating-like portion and is adapted to send out waste rearwardly through between the rotor and the grating-like portion, so when front waste is scooped up by the grating-like portion as the beach cleaner is moved while being towed by the traction vehicle, the waste is delivered onto the grating-like portion and the sand is also scooped up together with the waste and drops through gaps formed in the grating-like portion. The waste which is moved onto the grating-like portion is sent out rearwardly through the rotor and the grating-like portion by means of the rotor.
According to the present invention there is provided a beach cleaner wherein an elastic member 43 is provided on a radially outer side of the rotor. Thus, since an elastic member is provided on a radially outer side of the rotor, when waste is sent out rearwardly through between the rotor and the grating-like portion with rotation of the rotor, the elastic member is deformed according to the size of waste.
According to the present invention there is provided a beach cleaner wherein a core member 47 for reinforcement is contained in the elastic member. Thus, since a core member for reinforcement is contained in the elastic member, the strength of the elastic member is improved.
According to the present invention there is provided a beach cleaner wherein the rotor has a rigid member 40 on a radially inner side thereof to support the elastic member. Thus, since the rotor has a rigid member on a radially inner side thereof to support the elastic member, the elastic member is supported by the rigid member, whereby the strength of a base portion of the elastic member is sure to be improved.
According to the present invention there is provided a beach cleaner wherein the elastic member is curved so that a radially outer side thereof is positioned on a front side in a rotational direction of the rotor. Thus, since the elastic member is curved so that a radially outer side thereof is positioned on a front side in a rotational direction of the rotor, waste can be sent out rearwardly more accurately between the rotor and the grating-like portion.
According to the present invention there is provided a beach cleaner wherein the rotor is disposed with a small clearance relative to the grating-like portion. Thus, since there is a small clearance between the rotor and the grating-like portion, even relatively small waste can be accurately delivered out rearwardly through between the rotor and the grating-like portion as the rotor rotates.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.